Early results from our latest survey in the field suggest trouble ahead.
Soundings from CPAs in both tax and audit suggest a bumpy ride through April 15, 2006.
Most accountants don’t have a good feeling going into this year’s busy season. Only a striking minority see any improvements.
The survey is still open. Make your voice heard here. READ MORE →
Most accountants don’t have a good feeling going into this year’s busy season. Only a striking minority see any improvements.
How do you cope with your busy season?
By Rick Telberg
On Management for AICPA Career Insider
It’s no secret that CPAs from all walks of the profession struggle with work/life balance. But you don’t need to take my word for it. Just ask Helen Lam of Holmdel, N.J.
Lam says she left a job as an audit manager to go to private industry because “I don’t see how firms can better manage year-end reporting workload without asking their employees to work 80-hour weeks for two straight months.”
Work/life balance rates as a top concern for fully 90 percent of accountants. And with busy season looming for accountants from private industry to public, the topic is particularly acute today. READ MORE →
‘Ability to relate’ to people and ‘integrity’ may be the most important ingredients in a successful career as a CPA.
What’s the best career advice you could offer? READ MORE →
What have practitioners learned from last year?
by Rick Telberg
From the AICPA Insider
As they say, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Tax practitioners may fall into the twice-shamed category since they appear to be experiencing the same recurring, historical tax preparation problems. Perhaps, using the words of George Santayana, accountants who “cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Nevertheless, before you start sending us e-mails suggesting that we have denigrated a noble profession, please read on.
What was the No. 1 tax preparation problem of 2005? And how will some tax practitioners deal with the problem in 2006? The study is collecting input. Join the study and get the answers.
READ MORE →
Employee growth and development proves to be key
Employee management practices have a proven impact on the top and bottom line ? resulting in returns of up to 66% in sales and 13% in equity, according to a study by the University of California Center for Effective Organizations.
In another recent study, conducted by Cornell University?s Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, small companies that use practices such as training to promote long-term growth and development, and hiring people who want to grow and develop within the business were able to increase the customer orientation of their staff by 29%.
Businesses with 5 to 39 employees improved their overall performance by 15%, while those with 40 to 125 employees improved by 22%. READ MORE →
Survey of 10,000 Workers Examines Retention Tactics and Employee Tenure
Three in ten (30 percent) accounting workers would not consider another job offer, while just one-fifth (19 percent) of human resource and manufacturing workers feel that way, according to a new study by Hudson Highland, the human resources provider.
Overall, the company says, workers still consider a competitive pay and benefits package to be indispensable, but employers need to offer more than that to keep employees satisfied and on the job.
Nearly all of the workforce (96 percent) rated a fair salary as very or somewhat important and 93 percent said the same for benefits. However, when workers’ needs regarding career advancement, the relationship with their manager, and training are not being met, they are more likely to look for a new job than when their salary and benefits are poor. READ MORE →
